You'll be In My Heart Always
by Eggbert
Summary: FINALLY COMPLETE. *wipes brow* Sequel to 'Beloved'. Natasha, Harry and Ron's daughter goes to Hogwarts. Rated for later chapters. Please read the warnings.
1. Default Chapter

YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART ALWAYS  
  
Summary: The sequel to 'Beloved' and my first chaptered fic. Fingers crossed that it works.  
  
Disclaimer: they're not mine, they belong to JKR. With a few notable exceptions. Anyone you don't recognise belongs to me.  
  
Rating: PG-13 overall for all chapters.   
  
Warning: Many of the couples mentioned in the story are slash couples. Male and male. If this offends you then you are in the wrong place, my friend. Otherwise, enjoy it.  
  
Dedication: To Ines. Happy Birthday, my darling. This is the only present I could think of.  
  
  
  
DRAMATIS PERSONAE (For those who can't be bothered to read the prequel)  
  
  
ADULTS  
  
Harry James Potter. Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic. Nat's father and long-term partner of Ron.  
  
Ronald Arthur Weasley. Chief Auror of the Ministry. Nat's father and partner of Harry  
  
Arthur Weasley. Minister For Magic. Ron's dad.  
  
Molly Weasley. Ron's Mum.  
  
Percy Weasley. Head of the Department of International Magical co-operation. Ron's brother and partner of Oliver Wood.  
  
Oliver Wood. Quidditch player. Keeper for England and Puddlemere United. Percy's lover.  
  
Lavender Brown. Staff reporter for the Daily Prophet. Successor to Rita Skeeter but not as nasty.  
  
Mr and Mrs Williamson. Oscar's parents.   
  
Everard Small. A wizard with a handy fireplace  
  
Mr and Mrs Jameson. Ministry wizards and Deborah's parents.  
  
  
  
STUDENTS  
  
Natasha Weasley-Potter. Gryffindor student. Adopted daughter of Harry and Ron, real parents (Hermione and Viktor Krum) deceased. Heroine of the story.  
  
Deborah Jameson. Gryffindor student. One of Nat's best friends. Has wizard parents and a massive crush on Oliver Wood.  
  
Oscar Williamson. Gryffindor student. Nat's other best friend. Has Muggle parents and is completely unflappable. Definite Hero material.  
  
Robin Creevy. Nat's cousin, son of Ginny and Colin. Gryffindor prefect who has promised to look out for Nat. He's got his hands full...  
  
Daruis McEvoy. Ravenclaw student. Too handsome for his own good. Possible Lockhart material.   
  
Rainer Johnstone. Slytherin student, Quidditch player and a nasty piece of work.  
  
Elisabeth Fernandez. Bolivian femme fatale in training and Oscar's penpal, much to Nat's disgust.  
  
  
  
HOGWARTS TEACHERS  
  
Professor Minerva McGonagall. Headmistress.  
  
Professor Severus Snape. Deputy Headmaster, Potions master and Head of Slytherin House. Married to Professor Longbottom.  
  
Professor Neville Longbottom. Head of Gryffindor House. Herbology Teacher and married to Professor Snape.  
  
  
With full supporting cast of students, teachers and wizards.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE - EMPTY NEST  
  
  
  
Molly Weasley sang along to the radio as she lit the oven with a poke of her wand. Once it had reached its optimum temperature, she placed the cake inside and closed the door. There was something very satisfying about baking the Muggle way, she thought. She was just about to make a cup of tea when there was a knock at the door.  
  
Drying her hands on her apron she opened the door to find Harry standing there with a grin on his face and a bunch of roses in his hand.  
  
" Harry!" she exclaimed, delighted with her visitor. " You're not usually so formal, dear. Come in and I'll put the kettle on. "   
  
Harry followed her into the familiar kitchen and watched as she made tea for both of them. Silently he handed her the roses.  
  
" Oh, they're beautiful. " she exclaimed as she placed them in the sink.  
  
" How are you, Molly? " Harry asked as he sipped his tea.  
  
" Just fine, dear. It's so nice to have some time to myself at last. That'll all change soon, though. "  
  
Harry grinned. With the advent of her grandchildren The Burrow was every bit as crowded and noisy as it had been when Harry stayed there as a boy.  
  
" How's Ron? " asked his mother.  
  
" He's in Germany at the moment. " replied Harry. " There's been a bit of trouble over there with Dark activity. I expect he'll be back soon. "  
  
" Tell him to owl his mum now and again when he does. " said Molly, mischief dancing in her eyes. To everyone but Harry, Ron was a terrible correspondent.  
  
Harry sniffed appreciatively, " Hey, something smells good. " he ventured.  
  
" It's a plum cake. I'm baking it for Natasha. "  
  
Molly's expression softened even more when she saw the look of bewildered pain on Harry's face at the mention of his daughter's name. The reason for his visit was now obvious.  
  
" You're missing her, aren't you? "  
  
" It's awful. " Harry admitted. " I think I'm going round the bend. I keep finding things in unexpected places, like a pair of her socks down the back of the sofa or a half-read book and it hits me again that she's not going to run in the room in the next five minutes and hug me or tell me the latest joke from school. And I can't stand the fact that I don't have to hurry back from the Ministry so that she doesn't have to come home to an empty house. She left Eric at home, you know. How will she ever sleep without him? I found myself in her bedroom crying my eyes out yesterday. That's when I knew I had to talk to someone. Am I going nuts, Molly? "  
  
Molly reached over and squeezed the hand of the man her youngest son loved so much.  
  
" No, you're not. It happens to every parent. All you can do is bring them up as best you can and let them go in the hope they'll come back to you. You and Ron have done a wonderful job with Nat. You should be very proud. "  
  
" But I miss her! " Harry wailed.  
  
" I'm sure she misses both of you every bit as much. But you'd have to let her go someday. Nothing prepares you for an empty nest. "  
  
" I suppose there's always the holidays. " said Harry, brightening slightly. Molly smiled.  
  
" And there will be time for you and Ron as well. Time for you to realise you're more than just Nat's dad. You're Ron's lover as well. "  
  
She managed not to laugh as Harry went absolutely scarlet as the implications of her words sunk in.  
  
" Er, right. " he said, avoiding her eye.  
  
" So, tell me. " she went on, changing the subject completely. " What's the latest thing in the sports world? I've got to have something to talk about next time Robin visits. "  
  
Harry visibly relaxed and by the time he returned to Stoat's End Lane, he was feeling almost cheerful.  
  
Hedwig was waiting for him and she clicked her beak in annoyance at the fact he hadn't been there to welcome her. She nipped his finger affectionately as he relieved her of her post.  
  
The letter was from Ron; a brief scrawled note to say he would be home that night. Harry, remembering Molly's words grinned to himself. This could prove interesting...  
  
Their reunion was every bit as passionate as Harry could have hoped. And if Ron was taken aback by the ferocity of Harry's desire for him, he certainly didn't show it, nor did he complain when his romantic dinner ended up a charred inedible mess.  
  
" I'd rather have you like this any day. " he whispered to Harry as they lay together on the sofa. Harry smiled and held him tighter.  
  
TBC. 


	2. Christmas

CHAPTER TWO - CHRISTMAS  
  
Rating, disclaimers, summary and characters all in chapter One.  
  
Nat returns home for the holidays.  
  
  
  
In what seemed like no time at all it was three days before Christmas and Harry and Ron were at King's Cross awaiting the arrival of the Hogwarts Express.  
  
Ron checked his watch for the umpteenth time in five minutes.  
  
" It's late. " he muttered. " I hope nothing..."  
  
" Shhh. " said Harry. " Here she comes. "  
  
Nat appeared through the barrier at a run, abandoned her trolley and threw herself straight into Harry's waiting arms. He hugged his daughter tightly before relinquishing her to Ron.  
  
" Oh, it's so good to see you both. " she exclaimed, her dark eyes alight with pleasure. " I missed you so much. "  
  
" So did we, darling. " said Harry. He couldn't stop grinning.  
  
" Yeah. " aid Ron as he released her, recaptured her trolley and stared pushing it towards the exit. " It wasn't half quiet. "  
  
Harry laughed at the expression on Nat's face.  
  
" Where's Circe? " he asked, pointing to the empty cage.  
  
" She's delivering a letter. Well, more of a plea, really. For Deborah's Christmas present. "  
  
Her parents looked intrigued but she refused to elaborate, swiftly changing the subject and chattering happily about Hogwarts all the way home.  
  
Finally, all talked out and full to bursting with her welcome-home dinner; Nat settled into bed, her arms clamped firmly round Eric. Within seconds she was fast asleep.  
  
In the living room Ron slid his arm around Harry's shoulders.  
  
" It's great to have her back. " he murmured, brushing his lips against Harry's ear.  
  
" She's grown again. We won't be able to keep up shortly. Mmmm. That feels nice. " Harry whispered as Ron's mouth descended to the soft skin of his neck.  
  
" Time to practice our Silencing Charms again. " muttered Ron. " Let's go to bed. "  
  
Next morning Nat awoke early and lay there savouring the privacy. She loved Hogwarts but sharing a dormitory with Deborah and the others was something she thought she'd never get used to, however friendly they were.  
  
She passed her parents' bedroom on the way to the shower and giggled when the doorknob frowned at her. They'd studied Silencing Charms with Professor Flitwick, but he'd never mentioned using them on a bedroom.  
  
Harry barely had time to gulp down the proffered cup of tea before he had to leave for the Ministry which left Nat and Ron with barely a pair of eyes open between them.  
  
" So what're your new friends like? " asked Ron as he reached for another slice of toast.  
  
" Brilliant. Especially Oscar. "  
  
" Who's Oscar? " asked Ron, bewildered.  
  
" Oh, Pa! I've told you about him loads of times. Oscar Williamson? "  
  
" Oh yeah. " Ron's expression cleared. " The Muggle boy. "  
  
Nat frowned as if trying to find the proper way to phrase what she wanted to say.  
  
" He's my friend because he's one of the steadiest people I know. //Nothing// puts him in a flap. And he's so clever, it's scary. And he doesn't treat me like I'm some kind of royalty."  
  
" Royalty? What do you mean? "  
  
" Pa, //everyone// at Hogwarts knows about me, how I'm the daughter of Harry Potter who helped defeat the Dark Lord and Ron Weasley, Chief Auror. Not to mention the fact that Grandpa's the Minister For Magic and that Viktor played Quidditch for his country. "  
  
Her black eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
" Everyone expects me to be some kind of genius and when I'm not, they hate me for it. Oscar doesn't, and neither does Deborah. He doesn't care who my parents are; he likes me for me. "  
  
Ron sighed.  
  
" You're lucky. Your Dad went through exactly the same when he was at school. He often said he didn't know how he would have coped without his friends. "  
  
" You and my mum? "  
  
" Precisely. Now..."  
  
They were interrupted by the arrival of Circe who had a long tubular package gripped in her talons.  
  
" At last! " exclaimed Nat as the owl dropped her post and took off to perch beside Hedwig. They greeted each other with soft hoots of delight.  
  
" What's that? " asked Ron curiously.  
  
" Deborah's Christmas present. " replied Nat cryptically as she unwrapped and unrolled the parcel.  
  
It contained a large poster of Oliver Wood. He was dressed in his Puddlemere United robes with the crossed golden bulrushes on the front. He had his broomstick over his left shoulder and carried the Quaffle in the crook of his right arm. As Ron watched, the picture Oliver winked at him. The corner of the poster was inscribed;  
  
// To Deborah, with love and best wishes. Oliver Wood. //  
  
" I sent it to him and begged him to sign it for her. " Nat explained. " She's got the biggest crush on him ever. "  
  
Ron tried desperately not to laugh, but was unsuccessful.  
  
" Have you told her? "  
  
Nat couldn't stop grinning either.  
  
" No, she'd be devastated if I told her about him and Uncle Percy. Oh, there's a note. "  
  
She unfolded the fragment of parchment that had been enclosed with the poster.  
  
//Dear Natasha,  
  
Hope this will do and that it makes your friend happy. Have a very Merry Christmas and give my love to your parents.  
  
Regards  
Oliver//  
  
" That's nice. " said Ron approvingly. " Such a decent bloke. He's wasted on my idiot brother. Ow! "  
  
" Don't say things like that about Uncle Percy! " howled Nat, moving in for another playful punch.  
  
" Okay, okay. " said Ron, raising his hands in mock surrender. " I give in. Now that you've sorted Deborah out, why don't we go and do the rest of our Christmas shopping today? I've got to pick up something for your Dad in Diagon Alley anyway. "  
  
Nat beamed with pleasure.  
  
" Yeah, I'd like that. " She looked sadly at the pile of washing-up. " We'd better sort that out first. "  
  
Ron grinned. " Go and get your coat, I'll see to the dishes. "   
  
When Nat returned the kitchen was spotless and Ron was looking thoroughly pleased with himself.  
  
" All set? Then let's go. "  
  
They arrived in Diagon Alley which was thronged with witches and wizards, all doing their last-minute shopping.  
  
" It's like a zoo in here. " grumbled Ron. " There won't be anything left if we don't get a move on. "  
  
They progressed from shop to shop, the pile of parcels in Ron's arms grew bigger and bigger as their moneybags got lighter.  
  
They emerged from the sweet shop even more heavily laden.  
  
" Do you think you could've found a bigger box of Chocolate Frogs? " asked Ron sarcastically.  
  
" They're for Oscar. He loves them, and Bertie Bott's Beans. He's never had wizard sweets before and now there's no holding him back. "  
  
" Sounds like me when I was his age. " said Ron wistfully. " I always had a sweet tooth. "  
  
" You still have. " chuckled Nat, trying unsuccessfully to hide the huge box of Benedicks So-sweet-they-need-a-cavity-warning Praline and Truffle Luxury assortment, which were a particular favourite of Ron's, under her coat.  
  
" Are we about done? " asked Ron. His back was beginning to ache. Nat checked her list and nodded.   
  
" Thank goodness for that. Come on, sweetheart. Let your old Pa buy you lunch somewhere nice and then we can get out of this madhouse. "  
  
They ate at a very select restaurant called The Warlock's Head where the owner greeted Ron with something approaching awe before returning to Stoat's End Lane.  
  
As they went through the front door tired out and still giggling over what Ron had bought Harry for Christmas, they found the man in question sitting in the living room waiting for them.  
  
" Hi you two. Have you had a good time? "  
  
Nat laughed, her hair all windblown and her cheeks pink with the cold.  
  
" The best. Just you //wait// till Christmas morning! "  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron. " Have you been taking her into places of ill-repute, Weasley? "  
  
" Absolutely. Her uncles Fred and George would disown me if I didn't. "  
  
And with that, Harry had to be content.  
  
  
  
It snowed on Christmas Eve and turned Stoat's End Lane into something off a Christmas card by Christmas morning.  
Waiting for her in the living room were Deborah's owl and a strange owl she'd never seen before. She relieved them of their post before she even thought about opening her presents. The strange letter was from Oscar, thanking her for the parcel of sweets and telling her how much he was looking forward to getting back to school. She grinned widely at that. In contrast, Deborah's letter was very long and composed of two words repeated over and over again.  
  
//Thank you//.  
  
Her grandparents visited for Christmas dinner, as they nearly always did and Grandpa got well smashed on her Pa's secret eggnog recipe. Again. Grandma swelled like a bullfrog and was //still// complaining as they prepared to use the living room fire.  
  
" A //fine// example to set your granddaughter, Arthur Weasley! You would think the Minister for Magic would know better but oh no...."  
  
" I'm abserliely fine. " said Grandpa with the dignity of the truly drunk. " Donfussso, Molly." Then he hiccuped and fell face-first into the fire.  
  
Nat managed to keep a straight face until her grandparents had gone and then laughed till the tears ran down her face.   
  
" Wasn't that..." She stopped, feeling a blush stealing into her cheeks. Grandpa obviously wasn't the only one who had overdone the Christmas cheer. Her parents were kissing under the mistletoe.  
  
" Gross," muttered Nat. " I'm going to bed. "  
  
TBC. 


	3. Summertime Blues or How I embarrassed my...

CHAPTER THREE.   
  
Summary: Harry and Ron discover that having a daughter can prove more problematic than they thought.   
  
Genre for this chapter- Humour. Tongue firmly in cheek. Anyone who has ever suffered adolescence will enjoy this.  
  
The last week in July and things were so quiet at the Ministry that Harry took a day off work to spend with Nat. Ron was away in Germany again, the Death Eaters over there weren't giving in gracefully and Ron was having to work very closely with his German opposite number, Fraulein Brunner, their Ministry's finest Auror.   
  
The day promised to be a fine one and Harry was looking forward to having a day, just him and Nat.  
  
" What do you want to do today, sweetheart? " he asked her at breakfast. " I've got some tickets for the United match."  
  
" No thanks, Dad. I think I'll go back to bed. "  
  
Harry stared at her. Now he could see her properly she looked unbelievably pale and as he watched, she winced and went even paler.  
  
" You look awful. What's wrong? "  
  
" It's nothing. It'll pass, honestly. I'll just..."  
  
Nat got up from the table and swayed dangerously. Harry caught her before she hit the floor.  
  
" That's it. " he said firmly. " I'm getting the doctor. "  
  
Nat's feeble protests went unheard as Harry tucked her back into bed and stood looking at her. She'd never seen him so scared in her life. She would have laughed, only it would have hurt. He might be one of the greatest wizards in the country but, right now, he looked like every father when confronted with his daughter's growing maturity. Clueless.  
  
Her friends at school had whispered about this under cover of darkness, what it was like, how much it hurt. Nat had scoffed. //Nothing// could be that painful but now she was ready to eat her words. She winced again as another cramp seized her.  
  
" I wonder if Seamus is on duty..." muttered Harry.  
  
" Dad, I //don't// need a doctor! It's perfectly natural. If you want to help me, ask Grandma to come over. "  
  
Harry still looked completely baffled but waved his wand at the fireplace in her bedroom and muttered //Incendio//. Once the fire was cracking merrily he threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the flames and stuck his head in, muttering the charm that would connect him directly to the Burrow.   
  
Molly Weasley was, as ever, busy in the kitchen but turned immediately at the noise to see Harry's head sitting on the fire.  
  
" Hello, dear. " she said, smiling.   
  
" Sorry to bother you, Molly, but Nat's, er, unwell. She won't see a doctor. She wants to see you instead."  
  
Molly's kind face creased in concern.  
  
" I'll be straight over. " she said, pulling off her apron. Harry's head vanished with a small pop.  
  
Molly Apparated in Nat's bedroom. She took in the sight of a terrified Harry, who had reached the hand-wringing stage, and her exceedingly pale granddaughter.  
  
" Go away. " she said to Harry. He turned and fled. She perched on the side of the bed and smiled down at Nat.  
  
" Is this your first one, dear? " Nat nodded.  
  
" It hurts. " she hissed, gritting her teeth.  
  
" Yes, it does. But there are ways round that. " smiled Molly. " I'll send your useless father out for painkillers and I'll get everything else you'll need. There's a very good Muggle chemist not far from here. I'll see to it that those two give you a small Muggle allowance to get what you need every month. They're totally hopeless. Didn't they tell you //anything//? "  
  
Nat shook her head, a ghost of a grin forming on her lips.  
  
" Let's face it, Grandma. Women are a total mystery to both of them. "  
  
" True. But I thought Ron...oh, never mind. I'll be back shortly. "  
  
In the kitchen Harry received a hard clip round the ear.  
  
" Ow! " he protested. " What was //that// for? "  
  
" For frightening me to death, Harry Potter. "  
  
" What's wrong with Nat? " he asked, his expression so pathetic that Molly couldn't help but smile.  
  
" In pain, but you'd better get used to it. She'll be the same every month from now on. "  
  
Harry still looked completely baffled. Molly sighed; it looked like she'd have to spell it out for him.  
  
" She's menstruating, Harry. She's having her first period. "  
  
Relief swept over Harry's face followed by horror and extreme embarrassment.  
  
" Oh. " he said, avoiding her eye. " I didn't know. How could I? I never had any sisters. "  
  
" She'll be fine in a day or two. Get her a hot water bottle then go straight to the apothecary's and get her something for the pain. I'll see to the rest. "  
  
" The rest? "  
  
She explained her errand and Harry went even redder.  
  
" You don't want to have to go and buy //them// for her, do you? "  
  
" God, no!" he exclaimed, horrified at the very thought.  
  
Molly tucked the bottle in beside Nat.  
  
" I think I've embarrassed your Dad enough for one day. " she said with a chuckle. " Just make sure they cosset you for a while. And don't be too worried if they seem scared of you, men find this kind of thing hard to handle."  
  
Nat hugged her grandmother very tightly.  
  
" Thanks Grandma. "  
  
" Try and get some sleep. I'll see you before you go back to school. " said Molly as she turned to leave the bedroom.  
  
" Just one more thing. Have they told you about the birds and the bees yet? "  
  
Nat giggled.  
  
" No. I really can't //wait// for //that// discussion! "  
  
* * * * * *   
  
  
  
In the last week of the summer holidays, Nat and Ron went to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies. Nat had been to see her Grandma the week before and had received some very frank advice about certain matters, one of which she was going to sort out today.  
  
Once she was loaded up with quills, parchment, ink and Owl Treats for Circe, she checked her list again.  
  
" I've still got to get my new books. Oh, and we need to go to Madame Malkin's. "  
  
" Why? " asked Ron. " Your robes still fit you, don't they? Anyway, I thought I was buying you your broomstick today? "  
  
Nat grinned in spite of herself. When she was eight she had found her Dad's old Firebolt and had taken off. It had been the most natural thing in the world to her, the thrill of the wind rushing through her hair, the houses of Stoat's End Lane becoming like toy houses. She wouldn't forget the sight of her Pa, absolutely furious, yelling himself hoarse at her to come down //right// //now//. He had yelled at her even more once she was safely back on the ground and muttered dire retribution once her Dad got home.  
  
Her Dad had hugged her and said angrily to her Pa,  
  
" What do you expect? It's in her blood. She'll probably be as good as Viktor was. We can't stop her flying, Ron. "  
  
And they hadn't, though a Shooting Star had been deemed fast enough for her. Today she was hoping for a new Nimbus so she could try out for the Gryffindor team.  
  
" Yes, I know. But I //really// need to go to Madame Malkins as well. " she said stubbornly.  
  
Half an hour later with her new books from Flourish and Blotts and a brand-new Nimbus 3000 tucked under her arm they pushed open the door of Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.  
  
" Hello, dear. New Hogwarts robes, is it? " asked Madame Malkin.  
  
" I dunno. " said Ron in the hearty voice he used when he was talking to strange witches. Nat glared at him and said in a clear voice.  
  
" I've come for a fitting. For some underwear. "  
  
Finally the penny dropped and Ron went so red it clashed horribly with his hair.  
  
" Ah, yes. " said the witch, giving Ron a filthy look. " Most girls bring their mothers but I see you're a special case. This way, dear. "  
  
Ron was mortified, even more so when Nat emerged from the back room clutching a handful of flimsy items made of lace and silk, very like the only garments his mother refused to hang on the washing line. In a daze he gave Madam Malkin a handful of Galleons and Sickles and they left the shop.  
  
" You might have said. " muttered Ron, still beetroot with embarrassment.  
  
" You'd have run a mile if I told you I was going to buy my first bra. " said Nat sagely. " It's easier this way. I don't have to bother Grandma or Aunt Ginny. "  
  
" Next time, a little warning would be nice. " said Ron, ignoring the grin on his daughter's face.  
  
That night he snuggled up to Harry in bed.  
  
" I've never been so embarrassed in my life. " he fumed.  
  
" How do you think I felt? " asked Harry, grinning in the dark. " At least your Mum didn't come and clip you round the ear for being a thick git. "  
  
" True, that. " said Ron ruefully. " And we thought it'd get easier as she got older. "  
  
" Just wait till she brings home her first boyfriend. " chuckled Harry.  
  
" I don't even want to //think// about that. " said Ron despairingly. " Let's get over these shocks first, eh? "  
  
The Weasley-Potter household slept. 


	4. Blood Red Roses

CHAPTER FOUR BLOOD RED ROSES  
  
  
  
Natasha's on a mission. Can she be helped before time runs out?  
  
Genre for this chapter - Angst and a fair bit of sap.  
  
Nat was becoming distraught. There were only two days to go and she still hadn't managed it. Normally her parents would have helped, but they were both out of the country. They wouldn't miss it, she was convinced. It had become one of those rituals that most families have and never speak to outsiders about.  
  
She had gone to Hagrid but he had looked at her sorrowfully from under his shaggy black eyebrows.  
  
" Nah, can't 'elp yer, Nat. Wrong time of year for owt like that, see? "  
  
She had, all too vividly.  
  
She tried to immerse herself in homework, even though Oscar and Deborah thought she was mad.  
  
" Come on, Nat! It's Friday night! Relax a bit. Come and have a game of Exploding Snap. " Oscar wheedled.  
  
" No, I'm going to bed. " she said abruptly and climbed the stairs to her dormitory. She threw the book she was clutching down on the quilt.  
  
//One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore//  
  
Then it clicked. Herbology was just another kind of gardening, wasn't it? She resolved to sort it out in the morning. It couldn't hurt to ask, she thought as she climbed into bed. He could only say no.  
  
After breakfast the next day, Nat went looking for Professor Longbottom. The cold March air skinned her hands but he wasn't in the greenhouses where he was normally to be found, his robes covered in earth and his sleeves rolled up. Nor was he in the staffroom.  
  
" Try his office, Miss Weasley-Potter. " squeaked Professor Flitwick and directed her to the first floor.  
  
She found the right door and was just about to knock when she heard the voices; Professor Longbottom's light tenor and Professor Snape's. Deeper, richer and laden with tenderness.  
  
He's obviously busy, thought Nat. I don't want to interrupt anything marital.  
  
She was just deciding to come back later when the door swung open and she found herself looking into a pair of jet-black eyes. She shivered and waited for the stinging sarcasm.  
  
" Miss Weasley-Potter. Do you make a habit of lurking in draughty corridors? " asked Professor Snape.  
  
" No, sir. I wanted to see Professor Longbottom but then I heard your voice and thought you'd probably not want to be disturbed..." Nat tailed off, blushing furiously. It looked like Snape was trying desperately not to smile.  
  
" Very decent of you but completely unnecessary, I assure you. " He ushered her forward. " Neville, this student wishes to see you. "  
  
Professor Longbottom stood up, a welcoming smile on his face.  
  
" Come in, Natasha and close the door behind you. That's it. Now sit. Would you care for some tea? "  
  
" Thank you. " said Nat. She watched him as he boiled the kettle and hunted for cups. He looked completely different in jeans and a thick navy-blue fisherman's jersey where normally he wore robes in varying degrees of earthiness. Nat realised she was seeing him off-duty for the first time.  
  
He handed her a steaming cup of tea and sat opposite her. His kind face and warm grey eyes looked worried and he twisted his wedding ring round and round on his finger.  
  
" So what's wrong, Natasha? " he asked. Nat inhaled the fragrant steam from her cup and sipped at the brew. It was lightly flavoured with what seemed to be oranges and something indefinable. It was the most delicious tea she had ever tasted. When he Pa made tea, you could float a horseshoe on it.  
  
" This is wonderful! " she exclaimed, taking a bigger sip. He smiled.  
  
" It's Earl Grey. With a spice or two I added myself. Severus thinks I'm a complete philistine for even //thinking// I could improve on perfection. "  
  
" He's always telling us to push the boundaries in Potions. " said Nat and he laughed.  
  
" He used to tell us that as well. When we weren't suitably terrified, of course. But I don't think you came here to discuss my husband or my tea-making abilities, did you? "  
  
Nat sighed and placed her empty cup on the table. She asked what she had come there for all along.  
  
" I might. Why? " was Professor Longbottom's cautious answer.  
  
" Do you know what day it is tomorrow? Well, for that. It's become something we always do. "  
  
She was relieved to see he was still smiling.  
  
" Only if you never reveal where they came from. If it's for Hermione..."  
  
He stood up and rummaged in his desk drawer.  
  
" Oh, bugger! " he exclaimed, sucking on his index finger. He held up a tiny but wickedly sharp knife.  
  
" Come with me. " he said, absent-mindedly wiping his still-bleeding finger on his jersey. " I'm about to show you one of the best-kept secrets at Hogwarts. "  
  
He led Nat out of the castle, past Hagrid's hut to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He pulled out his wand, muttered some Latinate words and Nat gasped as a garden appeared before her eyes. A garden full of roses. There were hundreds of them, all perfect and all at the point of blooming. They //had// to be enchanted, she thought. You don't get roses like that at this time of year. Not naturally, anyway.   
  
She followed Professor Longbottom into the fragrant paradise, inhaling the heady scent as she walked. They paused before a particularly fine bush whose blooms were a deep crimson.  
  
" Will these do? " he asked.  
  
" Yes, they're perfect. " she breathed, watching as he expertly sliced the thick stems with the knife he had brought from his office. He cut a dozen and laid them in her arms.  
  
" Did you ever wonder, " he said with a catch in his voice, " why Harry and Ron picked red roses? "  
  
" Sometimes. " she replied.  
  
" When she knew she was getting married to Viktor she asked me to design her wedding bouquet. Nothing fancy, just something simple. And she loved roses. She was the most beautiful thing I ever saw on her wedding day, walking down the aisle on Dumbledore's arm carrying a dozen red roses tied with red and gold ribbon. Every year on her wedding anniversary I sent her the same. They're just carrying on the tradition. Celebrating the most important thing in her life. You. "  
  
Nat didn't know what to say, so she threw her arms around the older man and hugged him tightly.  
  
" Thank you. " she whispered. " Thank you so much. "  
  
" Get on with you. " he exclaimed, giving her a gentle push in the direction of the castle. She went without a backward glance and missed the sight of the Head of Gryffindor house wiping his eyes on his sleeve before making his loving tribute to a woman long since dead disappear.  
  
* * * *  
  
The owl was one of the brightest in the Owlery. Nat had tied the roses to his leg and given him precise instructions. He hooted with delight as he found the right spot and laid the flowers reverently in the shade of the white marble headstone.  
  
Under the legend, //Hermione and Viktor Krum. They gave their lives for the freedom of others. Rest in Peace// the roses lay. Later it started to rain, but not even the most torrential downpour could obliterate the writing on the attached card.  
  
//Happy Mother's Day, Mum. With all my love, Natasha. // 


	5. Options, Arrivals and Departures

CHAPTER FIVE.  
Options arrivals and departures.  
  
  
  
Notes disclaimers and other junk in Chapter one.  
  
Genre for this chapter - General, with a tiny thread of humour.  
  
Professor Longbottom went along the Gryffindor table handing out large pieces of parchment to the second-years. That done, he looked at them all, a glint in his warm grey eyes.  
  
" These are your option forms for your third year. They include extra subjects you will not have tackled before. Think very carefully before you fill them in as they could determine your future career in wizardry. And I need them in by Monday. "  
  
Nat, Deborah and Oscar looked at their sheets and groaned.  
  
" It says here we need to keep all our core subjects. " howled Oscar. " I was hoping to drop Potions!"  
  
Nat grinned at her best friend. " What, am I hearing this form the cleverest student in our year? "  
  
" Oh belt up! " growled Oscar, trying not to grin. Nat was sure she could detect a blush under his dark skin.  
  
" And what the hell is Arithmancy? " he exclaimed. " I can just imagine writing to Mum and Dad and asking them which ones I should pick. " And he buried his face in his hands.  
  
Nat and Deborah caught each other's eyes and tried not to giggle. Everything about Oscar was wrong, he was too tall, too skinny and his background just didn't seem to indicate any wizarding talent at all. He was the youngest of four children and the only boy. His parents lived in Yorkshire and his thick cheerful accent had taken a bit of getting used to at first when the girls had taken pity on the isolated boy on their first night at Hogwarts. But his talent for magic seemed boundless and he went through school with a permanently dazed grin as if this were some fantastic dream and he might have to wake up soon. Nat and Deborah adored him, the teachers liked him because he was so clever and everything he turned his hand to seemed effortless.  
  
There was only one fly in the ointment and it was staring at them from the Slytherin table, eyes full of malice as always.  
  
" He's gawking at us again." Nat muttered out of the side of her mouth. Oscar's head came up off his hands and he returned the glare.  
  
Rainer Johnstone was a second-year like them and he had hated all three of them from the word go. Nat, because of who she was (and he never let an opportunity pass to remind everyone of her domestic set-up) Deborah, because she was beautiful with her mass of blonde hair and sapphire-blue eyes and the fact that she had publicly called him a smelly creep and Oscar he hated most of all, because he was Muggle-born, black and exceptionally clever.  
  
The three friends ignored him as much as possible. He was like a bad smell, if you pretended it wasn't there it went away eventually.  
  
" Hey, you three. Any ideas for the future of wizardkind? " asked a cheery voice.  
  
" Hi, Robin. No, we've only just got them. " replied Nat, smiling at her cousin. Robin Creevy was a fifth-year Prefect who was a Beater on the Quidditch team and the apple of her Aunt Ginny's eye. Tall and slender, he had just missed having the trademark Weasley hair; his was the colour of a freshly shelled conker. He had promised his mother he'd look out for Nat. So far it hadn't been an arduous task.  
  
Robin grinned at them. " Well, if you need any advice..."  
  
The Headmistress, who stood up, interrupted him. Immediately, the Hall fell silent.  
  
" Your attention please, " she said." I am very pleased to announce that the exchange scheme where Hogwarts students will attend other wizarding schools has been given the go-ahead. Mr Percy Weasley, " and she pointed to the man at her side who looked very pleased with himself " the Head of International Magical Co-operation has secured us four places in the major schools in South America. I will let Mr Weasley give you the rest of the details. "  
  
Both Nat and Robin groaned as their uncle stood up, producing a wad of parchment from the pocket of his robes.   
  
" I hope it's not like those speeches he makes at Christmas. " Robin whispered and Nat had to bite her lip to stop herself giggling.  
  
" Thank you Professor McGonagall. " said Percy solemnly. " As there are only four places, we have decided to allocate a place to each House. There will be no age restrictions, I feel that you will benefit from such a cultural exchange whatever your level of magical ability, but you must obtain written permission from your parents or guardians. Each student will spend two months at their allocated school and will gain a broad outlook on what it is like to be a wizard in that particular country. Hopefully, next year, Hogwarts can return the favour. If you have any questions, I would be delighted to answer them. Thank you. "  
  
As he sat down, the Hall exploded with whispers.  
  
" I'm going for it! " said Oscar excitedly. " I'd love to go abroad. What about you two? "  
  
Nat shook her head decisively. " No, I don't think I want to."  
  
Deborah shook her head also. " Me neither. I'm no good with the heat. "  
  
Robin also refused to put his name forward. " And miss Quidditch? No way! " he said heartily. " Don't forget practice tomorrow, Nat. "  
  
" I won't, " she said to his retreating back. " One day I might even get a game. "  
  
Nat had been chosen as reserve Chaser for the team, but the first three seemed immune to illness and injury and she was beginning to despair.  
  
" I'm going to see Uncle Percy. " she said and made her way to the High Table.  
  
" Hello, Nat. " said her uncle, smiling at her. " Are you putting your name forward? "  
  
" Hi, Uncle Percy. No, I don't think so. There's too much going on here and I'd miss my parents. "  
  
Percy smiled again. " The selection process is going to be difficult. " he said. " I expect we'll have lots of applicants. "  
  
" I bet. How's Oliver? " asked Nat, secretly delighted when her uncle's ears went pink.   
  
" He's in Australia at the moment. " said Percy wistfully. " With the England team. I think he's due back next week. "  
  
" Give him my love when you see him. " said Nat. She reached over and gave her uncle a swift hug. " Got to go, it's Potions. And Professor Snape can get very sarcastic if you're late.  
  
Percy laughed. " He's never changed. Go on then. I'll be back next week to announce the results. "  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
" Pa says Divination's a waste of time. "  
  
" Nat, he's the Chief Auror! He can't think that, surely!"  
  
" He says Professor Trelawny's nuts. He says we should go for something that actually might be useful. Like Muggle Studies."  
  
" Oh yeah. " said Oscar sarcastically. " I //really// need to learn //all// about Muggles, don't I? "  
  
" Or Ancient Runes, or Arithmancy. And there's Care of Magical Creatures. "  
  
All three were agreed on that one. They all loved Hagrid and couldn't wait to see what fantastic beasts he would teach them to care for.  
  
" Well, //I'm// doing Divination. " announced Deborah.  
  
" Me too. " said Oscar stubbornly.  
  
" Please yourselves. " sighed Nat, picking up her quill and ticking Muggle Studies and the Study of Ancient Runes on her options sheet.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
There was an air of expectancy in the Great Hall that night, for the first exchange students would be announced.  
  
Percy Weasley stood up and you could have heard a pin drop as he unfolded a single sheet of parchment.  
  
" It has been a very difficult choice, but we have decided on the following students as the pathfinders for the Hogwarts Exchange Scheme. When I call your name, would you please make your way to the antechamber behind us here where I will give you all the information you need. Okay, from Hufflepuff - Owen Smith. " The Hufflepuffs all clapped and cheered as the brown haired sixth year blushingly made his way towards the High Table.  
  
" From Ravenclaw, Amanda Green. " More applause for the Ravenclaw fourth-year.  
  
" From Slytherin, Davina Brannigan. "  
  
" Look at Johnstone!" hissed Oscar. " He looks as sick as a chip! "  
  
Nat grinned. The black haired Slytherin looked extremely disappointed as the trembling first-year girl left the table.  
  
" And finally, from Gryffindor..." Nat patted Oscar on the arm. He was incredibly tense. " Oscar Williamson. "  
  
They Gryffindor table exploded with cheers and Oscar disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. Grinning broadly he made his way to where the others were and disappeared from sight.  
  
Later that night, the girls prepared for bed. Oscar hadn't returned and Nat fervently hoped her uncle wasn't grilling him too badly. Deborah kissed her poster of Oliver Wood that was lovingly tacked above her bed before climbing between the sheets. Nat had just pulled the quilt up when the door burst open and Oscar bounded in.  
  
" Are you nuts! " exclaimed Nat, pushing him out of the door. " If Robin catches you here, he'll get you expelled. "  
  
" I know. Grab a dressing gown and come down to the common room. " he exclaimed, his eyes large and bright in the dim light of the candles.  
  
Ten minutes later, shivering in the common room Nat and Deborah listened dismayed to Oscar.  
  
" You're going //tomorrow//? Isn't that a bit sudden? "  
  
" No point in hanging around. " said Oscar excitedly. " I'm going to Bolivia. To a place called Santa Cruz. Mr Weasley says it's beautiful there, hot and sunny and the school is one of the best in South America. "  
  
" Oh. " said Deborah. There wasn't much else to say. " You will write, won't you? "  
  
" Yeah. " said Oscar impatiently. " Course I will. Got to go. Need to pack. "   
  
And he ran up the boy's staircase leaving the other two cold and a bit stunned.  
  
" I'm going to bed. " announced Deborah. " Are you coming? "  
  
" Yeah. " said Nat. " In a minute. "  
  
Shortly afterwards, she blew the candle out.  
  
Next morning Oscar was in a high state of excitement, with his trunk all ready he stood with the other exchange students.  
  
Deborah hugged him and then hurried away before he could see her tears. Nat hugged him too.   
  
" I'll miss you. " she said and felt his arms tighten round her.  
  
" You too. " he said gruffly and he kissed her gently on the cheek.  
  
" Take care. Write soon! " yelled Nat over she shoulder as she took off at a run, the place where his lips had so briefly rested burned like a brand.  
  
In History of Magic she placed her fingertips where Oscar had kissed her.  
  
" What brought all //that// on? " she muttered to herself as she picked up her quill and started to write. 


	6. What Oscar Did

CHAPTER SIX - WHAT OSCAR DID.  
  
  
  
Ratings, summaries, who the hell these people are, all in chapter one.  
  
Genre for this chapter: Humour, angst, all that. Natasha's third year at Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
Nat was almost glad to be going back to school. It had not been a happy summer, her parents had been very preoccupied with things they wouldn't explain and now they were both out of the country. Again. She had spent the last few days of the summer at the Burrow and, although she adored her grandparents, it just wasn't the same.   
  
Nat and her grandfather attracted some curious looks from the Muggle commuters, which was hardly surprising. Arthur was in full Ministerial dress and was pushing a trolley with a large tawny owl on it.  
  
" Shall we make a run for it? " asked Arthur, his eyes sparkling with mischief.  
  
" Yeah. Last one in's a Muggle! " grinned Nat and took to her heels, passing effortlessly through the barrier to platform 9 3/4 .   
  
The Hogwarts Express was waiting; steam billowing from its chimney, students and parents were saying their goodbyes. Arthur emerged to stand at her side, breathing heavily.  
  
" I'm getting too old for this game. " he said. " Now, let's find you a seat. "  
  
" Deborah! " exclaimed Nat joyfully as she spotted her best friend. Her parents were talking to another couple who looked suspiciously like Oscar's family. As she approached, she was proved right. Oscar had been hidden from view by his father's bulk.   
  
Nat greeted them all warmly and introduced Arthur.  
  
" Mr and Mrs Williamson, this is Arthur Weasley, my grandfather. "  
  
" How do. " said Mr Williamson, engulfing Arthur's outstretched hand in his vast grip, ignoring his son's frantic mouthing of  
  
" The Minister for Magic, Dad. Be nice "  
  
" You're Muggles! " exclaimed Arthur delightedly. " Once we get the kids off, you must come for a drink. I've heard such a lot about your son from Nat. "  
  
Oscar's parents smiled, a trifle dazedly.   
  
" Aye, that'd be nice. " said Mrs Williamson who was tiny and softly spoken. " Thank you Minister. "  
  
Arthur grinned and pushed his glasses up his nose. " Arthur, please. Such a pleasure to meet you both. "  
  
Once their trunks and other stuff was safely placed on the train, Nat jumped back down to hug her grandfather.  
  
" Be good. " said Arthur, smiling. " And make sure you write to your grandma. You know how she worries. "  
  
" I will. " she said, climbing back on board the train. " Be gentle with them, won't you? " she said gesturing to the Williamsons as the train began to pull out of the station. The last thing she heard was her grandfather's laughter.  
  
  
The train began to pick up speed and Nat slumped into her seat. She eyed Oscar sourly. He had grown since they had last met and had filled out. He looked as if he would end up every bit as tall and broad as his father.  
  
" How was Bolivia? " she asked. Deborah stopped rummaging in her trunk to listen. This was going to be good.  
  
" It was brilliant. Honestly. "  
  
" We knew that from your letters. " replied Nat sweetly  
  
" But I didn't write any! " said Oscar, bewildered.  
  
" Exactly. Some bloody friend you are. " raged Nat. " There was I having the crappiest summer ever but I thought, it's okay, Oscar will write soon. He always knows how to cheer me up. But not a single fragment of parchment. Not one. Thank you very bloody much. "  
  
" Hey, I'm sorry. It's just that we were so busy with school and the dragons...hey that reminds me. I met your uncle over there. "  
  
Nat was momentarily shaken from her sulk. " Uncle Charlie? "  
  
" Yeah. He's set up a breeding programme for the Peruvian Vipertooths. Or should that be teeth. Anyway, we saw a lot of him with the hacienda being so close to the breeding ground. We even saw a hatching. It was just amazing. "  
  
" Who's we? " asked Deborah before Nat could. Nat could swear Oscar was blushing.  
  
" Elisabeth. Elisabeth Fernandez. She was the one who was chosen to look after me while I was over there. She's great. She's promised to write to me. "  
  
" Huh. If you're as great a correspondent to her as you are to the rest of us she'll get fed up waiting. " said Nat grimly. Oscar frowned.  
  
" Hey, got your Hogsmeade forms signed? " asked Deborah, desperately trying to lighten the mood.  
  
Both nodded. " Dad says it's brilliant there. " said Nat, cheering up slightly. " Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks, Dervish and Banges, and Uncle Fred and George's shop. "  
  
Oscar frowned. " Didn't it say that students had to have //special// permission to go into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? "  
  
Nat laughed for what felt like the first time that summer.  
  
" It's okay. They hide the, er, speciality stuff during term time. So that young minds won't get corrupted. "  
  
Her friends looked eagerly at her for more details but she refused to elaborate. Her uncles were geniuses of their time and had brought the spice back into many an ailing relationship, as well as selling the best wizarding jokes on the planet. Nat sighed. If only her parents problems could be solved by a trip to the shop.  
  
The talk turned to general stuff as the train puffed steadily northwards.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Nat looked eagerly at her new timetable.  
  
" Muggle Studies first. " she said enthusiastically. " I'm really looking forward to that. "   
  
Arthur had unwittingly passed on his love of everything to do with Muggles to his granddaughter. She had spent an interesting few days in his garden shed while he explained to her how things worked. And he had been delighted that she had chosen Muggle Studies as one of her options.  
  
" Divination for us. " said Deborah. " We'll meet you in Herbology. "  
  
" See you later then. " said Nat as she put her timetable into her bag and set off. She got slightly lost and found the classroom in the nick of time. To her complete horror the only vacant seat was next to Rainer Johnstone.  
  
" Oh, bugger. " she thought as the teacher swept in.  
  
" Sit down, my dear. " she said gesturing to the empty seat. She could //feel// Johnstone smirking as she gingerly sat, as far away from him as humanly possible.  
  
" Good morning. My name is Professor Andrews, and I am delighted to see so many of you here. These seats will be yours for the rest of the year. I'm terrible with names, but good with faces. So you'll just have to humour an old woman. Now then, I'll take the register. "  
  
What followed was a very interesting lesson indeed and Nat knew she had made the right choice. The others, when she joined them in Greenhouse Two, looked less than thrilled.  
  
" What's up? " hissed Nat as she pulled on her dragon hide gloves. Oscar and Deborah refused to answer.  
  
Professor Longbottom stood at the front looking, as usual, like he had been digging a trench with his robes. His grey eyes twinkled.  
  
" A bunch of depressed Gryffindors. Hmmm. Let me guess, you've just had your first Divination lesson, am I right? "  
  
There was a murmur of assent.  
  
" Okay, who's going to die this year? "  
  
Nat was horrified as Oscar raised a trembling hand. Professor Longbottom grinned.  
  
" Oscar, for heaven's sake, don't worry. She told us, in our first lesson, that one of us wasn't going to see the year out. And we're all still alive and kicking. Sybil can be very, er, confusing at times. Especially since she told me I'd marry the girl of my dreams and have six children. "  
  
The entire greenhouse exploded with laughter at that comment.  
  
" What's so funny? " asked Deborah.  
  
" Don't you know? " asked Nat, wiping her eyes. " You've been here for three years and you don't know? Blimey. "  
  
" What? " asked Deborah.  
  
" He's been married to Professor Snape for years. Dad told me. Dad was best man at their wedding. "  
  
Deborah looked completely stunned. " You're kidding. "  
  
" I'm not. Haven't you ever noticed he wears a wedding band? "  
  
" Yes, they both do, but...seriously? Ew! "  
  
Nat laughed. " Quite a thought, isn't it? " And they settled down to concentrate as Professor Longbottom told them all about the properties of the most disgusting smelly fungi Nat had ever seen.  
  
* * * *  
  
  
  
And so the year wore on. Christmas came and went and Nat sensed a very forced kind of jollity from her parents.  
  
" So where are you going next? " Nat asked Ron as she prepared to return to Hogwarts.  
  
" Back to Germany. " replied Ron and Nat noticed the clouds that formed in Harry's emerald green eyes at the very mention of the word. " I'm still having problems over there. Maria does her best but she needs a hand now and again..."  
  
Harry got up and left the room.  
  
" What's up with him? " asked Nat fretfully. With both of you? She wanted to add.  
  
" He doesn't like me spending so much time with someone else. He's jealous, Nat. "  
  
" Of a witch? "  
  
Ron frowned and nodded. " For no reason. When you go back to school then I'll try and sort it out, okay? "  
  
Nat sighed. It wasn't like she had any other option.  
  
Her temper was not improved when, on the very first day of the new term, Oscar received another letter from Bolivia.   
  
Since the summer the letters had grown closer and closer together and the sheaves of parchment that made them up had gotten thicker and thicker. She didn't even want to think about the perfume...In the beginning Oscar had read them out to her and Deborah, but now he kept them to himself.   
  
This one he slit open and gasped as a photograph slid out. He wasn't quick enough and Nat grabbed it. She stared at the picture in her hand in total disbelief.  
  
The girl in it was standing with her arms folded. She wore long white robes, which were the perfect contrast to her lightly tanned skin. Long hair, the colour of runny honey tumbled over her shoulders and soft brown eyes and perfect white teeth smiled up at Nat.  
  
" Is that her? " asked Nat, horrified to hear her voice shaking with emotion.  
  
" Yeah. " replied Oscar in what he thought was an off-hand manner. " That's Elisabeth. Pretty, isn't she? "  
  
Deborah leaned over for a look.  
  
" Pretty? She's bloody gorgeous! "  
  
While Oscar and Deborah were bantering, Nat caught a glimpse of part of the letter. It was written in a very fine hand and what she read made her feel ill.  
  
" I miss you so, amor mio, and long for your return. Bolivia misses you, the hatchlings miss you, but none so much as me..."  
  
Nat was absolutely furious.  
  
" You're jealous! " crowed Deborah as they prepared for bed that night. " You should have seen the look on your face! "  
  
" Oh shut up! " wailed Nat as she pulled the covers over her head, praying for respite from the awful feeling in her heart and in her gut. 


	7. Love Hurts

CHAPTER SEVEN. LOVE ETERNAL  
  
All disclaimers etc in Chapter One  
  
Genre for this chapter - Angst. Pure and simple. Contains some not very nice things.  
  
Nat and Oscar were in the middle of Potions attempting to concoct a Hair-Restoring potion while Professor Snape prowled the dungeon adding his caustic comments and, rarely, a word or two of praise.  
  
" Is it supposed to look like boiling snot, d'you think? " Oscar whispered and Nat couldn't control her giggles. Professor Snape swept down on them, his lip curling into a sneer.   
  
" Williamson, Miss Weasley-Potter. You find this lesson amusing? "  
  
" No sir. " replied Oscar, giving the Potions Master a wide-eyed look that fooled no one. Whatever Snape was going to say was interrupted by a loud knock on the dungeon door.  
  
" Enter. " said Snape and in walked Darius McEvoy, a very good-looking Ravenclaw fourth year. Nat could //feel// Deborah melting from half a room away.  
  
" Yes? " said Snape.  
  
" Please, sir. I'm to take Natasha Weasley-Potter to the Headmistress. Immediately, sir. " he added as Snape opened his mouth to protest.  
  
" Very well. Take your things with you. " said Snape curtly to Nat who had gone extremely pale. Wordlessly she packed her bag and followed Darius out of the dungeon, only too well aware of the sympathetic glances from her fellow Gryffindors. On the second floor she saw Professor Longbottom waiting anxiously beside a repulsive stone gargoyle.  
  
" Thank you, Darius. " said Professor Longbottom. " I've been summoned as well. " he said to Nat. " Let's see what's happened. Caerphilly Catapults! " he said to the gargoyle which sprung to one side as the wall behind it split in two Within seconds they were outside a stout oak door. When Professor Longbottom knocked, a voice bade them enter.  
  
" Ah, Natasha. " said Professor McGonagall. She did not smile and Nat's worries increased a hundredfold. " Sit, please. "  
  
She cast her beady eye over Professor Longbottom. " You as well, Neville. I have arranged for your classes to be covered. I may need you. " He merely nodded and sat beside Nat.  
  
" There's been an accident. " said Professor McGonagall gently. " Your father has been very badly hurt. "  
  
" No!" Nat whispered.  
  
" Ron or Harry? " said Professor Longbottom sharply.  
  
" Yes, of course. It's Mr Weasley...on an assignment...ambushed..." Her words seemed to be coming from miles away.  
  
" Pa. Oh, no..." whispered Nat. It was as if her world had fallen apart. She felt a comforting arm go round her and she breathed in the warm smell of newly dug earth as Professor Longbottom held her.  
  
" I must go to him. Please, Professor. Dad must be out of his mind with worry. "  
  
" Of course you must go, my dear. Go and get what you need and I will arrange a Portkey. Neville, will you go with her? "  
  
"Yes. Is he at St Mungo's? "  
  
" Yes, the Magical Injuries wing according to the letter. I will inform Severus of where you are. "  
  
Within a very short time Nat was back in the office clutching an overnight bag. The other two were waiting for her. On McGonagall's desk was a very tatty four-day-old Daily Prophet.  
  
" Take as much time as you need my dear, "said professor McGonagall." When you are ready to return to Hogwarts, send me an owl. " What looked suspiciously like a tear formed in her beady eye. " I hope he'll be all right. "  
  
Nat tried to smile but her face felt frozen.  
  
" All you have to do is touch the paper. " said Professor Longbottom helpfully.  
  
Nat did as she was told and felt a vicious tug somewhere round her navel and a sensation of flying...  
  
Within seconds they were standing at the forbidding entrance to St. Mungo's Hospital.  
  
" This way, " said Professor Longbottom, striding off determinedly.  
  
" Are you sure, Professor? " asked Nat, hurrying to keep up.  
  
" Oh, I'm sure. " he replied grimly.   
  
He made enquiries at the entrance to the ward and they followed a white-robed Healer to a single room.  
  
" He's in here. " she said. " Prepare yourselves, I'm afraid he's had quite a battering. We've done all we can; it's up to him now. "  
  
Nat opened the door but paused on the threshold. There had to have been a mistake. That couldn't be her Pa, that broken thing on the bed...Her eyes caught up with her brain and it was all she could do not to scream aloud.   
  
The unmarked part of Ron's face was whiter than the pillow it rested on, throwing his freckles into sharp relief. Livid purple bruises marred the rest of his visible skin and his right arm was in a heavy cast. Various tubes added fluids and removed waste from his comatose body while a hunched figure clutched his unharmed hand tightly. Her Dad. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing emerged.  
  
" Harry. " said Professor Longbottom softly.  
  
The figure spun round and Nat felt real fear for the first time in her life. She barely recognised the man who sat there ravaged with grief. His eyes were swollen almost shut with crying and his expression was that of a man who has flown over the slopes of hell, never to return. If anything happens to my Pa, she thought, Dad will follow him almost immediately.  
  
" Nat! " croaked the figure and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him and holding him tight. " So glad you're here. " he muttered. She felt something warm splash on her wrist. He was crying again. Nothing would ever be the same again, she thought.  
  
" It's all my fault. " Harry was saying in a monotone to Professor Longbottom. " I pushed him away with my stupid jealousy. I didn't trust him, not even with a witch. Poor Maria, she's been frantic since it happened. But they got the bastards that did it. " he concluded with relish and Nat shuddered in his arms. His tone left no doubt as to what had happened to the would-be assassins.  
  
She pulled free of his embrace and walked to the window, gazing out at the night sky. It was pitch black. Even the stars are in mourning, she thought despairingly.  
  
When the hand landed on her shoulder she let out a shriek of terror, turning to see her beloved grandparents.  
  
" Come and sit, Natasha. " said Molly kindly. " Your voice as well as ours might help to bring him round. There's no way we can persuade you to go to bed anyway. "  
  
Nat took a chair beside her grandma and listened to her Dad pleading with her Pa not to leave him.  
  
" Ron, I don't want our last words in this world to be angry ones. I love you. Only you. Don't leave me, us. Remember Nat needs you as well. She's already lost one father; she can't lose you as well. Come back to us, darling. "  
  
The room was warm, the sound of well-loved voices was soporific, and way too much had happened since that morning. Nat rested her head on Molly's shoulder. She'd shut her eyes for just a second, her Pa wouldn't mind....  
  
Next thing she knew someone was shaking her roughly.  
  
" Natasha. Natasha, wake up! "  
  
She awoke with a start. It was her Dad, his face as white as a sheet.  
  
" Wake up, darling. " he said solemnly. " It's all over. "  
  
TBC 


	8. New Beginnings

CHAPTER EIGHT. NEW BEGINNINGS  
  
  
  
Genre for this chapter - general with a hint of romance.  
  
To everyone who's read and reviewed so far, thanks you guys. Stick with it.  
  
  
  
Nat surveyed Harry. No. It couldn't be....then she saw he was smiling.  
  
" He's awake. The worst's over. Look for yourself. " said Harry.   
  
Straightening up, Nat looked at the bed. Ron gave her a very weak smile and, for the first time since she'd entered McGonagall's office, Nat burst into tears, throwing herself on the bed, kissing her Pa wherever she could reach.  
  
" Ow! " protested Ron. " I'm still not....ow! "  
  
" I thought you were going to die. " sobbed Nat. " I can't believe you're okay! "  
  
She felt his hand on her hair and cuddled in even tighter to him.  
  
" I'm not out of the woods yet. " said Ron croakily. " But I'll make it. "  
  
Only when she was absolutely sure that there was no chance of a relapse did Nat return to Hogwarts with Professor Longbottom. She left Ron in Harry's tender care, waiting on Ron hand and foot, pandering to his every whim. Only when he came so close to losing Ron did he realise what a complete idiot he had been. A visitor the day before Nat returned to school reinforced it. She had gone to the shop for strawberry ice cream and when she returned, a woman was sitting on their sofa chatting to Harry.  
  
" You were all he ever spoke of. " said the woman quietly. She had a very strange accent and Nat listened intently, aware that they hadn't heard her come in. " You and his beautiful daughter, and how much he loved you both. "  
  
She was a very pretty woman. Long red-gold hair hung down almost to her waist, framing her oval face and soulful brown eyes.  
  
" Nat! " exclaimed Harry, and she jumped. " Come here, darling. There's someone I want you to meet. "  
  
The woman smiled at Nat, who returned it somewhat nervously.  
  
" This is Fraulein Maria Brunner. She's the Auror your Pa has been working with in Germany. "  
  
" Hello. " said Nat shyly.  
  
The witch held out her hand, which Nat shook.  
  
" You are every bit as pretty as I imagined. " said Maria. " It is an honour to meet you. "  
  
" Why don't you take Pa his ice-cream? " suggested Harry. Nat turned and fled.  
  
Oscar and Deborah were waiting for her on her return.  
  
" We've been so worried! " exclaimed Deborah." Professor Longbottom told us what had happened. "   
  
" Yeah, is he going to be okay? " asked Oscar plaintively.  
  
" He's going to be fine, if my dad doesn't spoil him to death. " said Nat with a grin. She turned to Oscar.  
  
" Still writing to Elisabeth? "  
  
Oscar nodded sheepishly. " She's great fun to write to. " he added defensively as Deborah caught Nat's eye and winked.  
  
They both looked relieved. Nat sighed to herself as she let Oscar go. Let him have his Bolivian femme fatale if that was what he really wanted, she thought. She had seen what jealousy could do and wanted no part of it. If he was still her friend, what right had she to want anything more?   
  
  
  
Her first lesson next day was Muggle Studies. She braced herself for the usual tirade of sniping and whispered insults that usually came her way from her seat partner, but Johnstone was surprisingly subdued.  
  
When the bell came to signal the end of the lesson she stood up to pack her books away and winced as Johnstone grabbed her arm.  
  
" Natasha. " he said formally. " I was sorry to hear about your father. "  
  
" Why should you be bothered? " asked Nat. " It was probably some of your lot who put him in hospital in the first place. "  
  
" You know //nothing// about me. " said Johnstone angrily. " I lost my father as well in the war. We're not so different, you know. "  
  
She looked into his eyes, normally so cold they blazed with fury, turning them a deep sapphire in colour.  
  
" You're a Slytherin. " she said weakly, knowing she had lost the upper hand somewhere along the line.  
  
" So naturally I'm evil. " said Johnstone flatly. " Typical Gryffindor bigotry. "  
  
" I'm not like that! " wailed Nat.  
  
" Prove it. "  
  
" How? "  
  
" Come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend. And we can put the world to rights. "  
  
Nat went absolutely scarlet. She detested this boy and here he was asking her out. Was he completely insensitive?  
  
" Yes, all right. " she was appalled to hear herself say.   
  
He smiled a totally genuine smile that made his whole face light up.  
  
" I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall after lunch. See you then, Natasha. "  
  
" Okay. Bye, Johnstone. "  
  
" Rainer. " he said with another quirk of his lips.  
  
" Rainer. " she breathed, watching him as he left.  
  
TBC 


	9. A Day To Remember

1 CHAPTER NINE. A Day To Remember  
  
  
  
Disclaimers etc, in Chapter One.  
  
Genre for this chapter – Lurve. It's in the air. Hehe.  
  
  
  
" Hey, guess what just happened!" exclaimed Deborah when Nat joined her and Oscar at lunchtime.  
  
" What? "  
  
" Darius asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him this weekend. " Nat grinned. Her friend was positively glowing with excitement.  
  
" Isn't he the most handsome thing you ever saw? " continued Deborah dreamily, ignoring Oscar who was making retching noises behind her back.  
  
" Er, he's very nice. " said Nat weakly. Darius McEvoy had been blessed with height, wavy blond hair and cornflower-blue eyes. Nat had always thought he was a bit of a twit, even though he was in Ravenclaw. Her ideal man would have something more than fresh air between his ears.  
  
//Like Rainer? // said a smug internal voice. Nat ignored it.  
  
" So I take it you're over Oliver then? " said Nat, grinning. Deborah grimaced.  
  
" Hey, that was just a crush. This is real life. "  
  
" So now would be a good time to tell you Oliver's moving in with my Uncle Percy. " said Nat delicately.  
  
" As a roommate? "  
  
" Kind of. They've been together since their last year here at Hogwarts. "  
  
Deborah frowned and Nat could almost hear the cogs turning.  
  
" I knew they were best friends and all that. " said Deborah. Nat sighed loudly. Deborah was great, but she could be really dense at times.  
  
" No, they were //together//. They were lovers. Now that Oliver's retiring from the game and going to work with Dad at the Ministry, he and Uncle Percy can settle down together at last. "  
  
Deborah looked exceedingly put out.  
  
" I can't believe you didn't tell me. " she muttered, giving Nat a filthy look.  
  
" So it'll be just me and you this weekend. " said Oscar brightly. Nat gulped. She'd been dreading this.  
  
" Actually..."  
  
She was interrupted by Robin.  
  
" Hey, Nat. Have you heard about Marysia? " Marysia was one of the Gryffindor Chasers. " She's hurt her back and won't be fit for the match next weekend. Duncan says you're in. "  
  
Nat gaped at him. She had been resigned to spending her Quidditch career on the sub's bench. Now her dream was coming true.  
  
" So I'll see you at practice tonight, yeah? " said Robin as he hurried off.  
  
Her friends were so delighted with the news that the subject of Hogsmeade was quickly forgotten.  
  
As it happened, on the Friday morning Oscar looked terrible. His complexion was ashy grey and the sweat poured off him.  
  
" You need to go to the hospital wing. " said Nat worriedly.  
  
" I'b god a code. " said Oscar thickly, and sneezed.  
  
He soldiered on until the sight of rotting Dragon's liver in Potions turned him green and sent him hurtling out of the door to throw up.  
  
Nat helped him up to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey fussed over him.  
  
" He's got stomach flu, poor thing. " she told Nat. " He'll have to stay here for a couple of days."  
  
Nat was very sympathetic.  
  
" That's too bad. You'll miss the visit. Don't worry though, I'll bring you back loads of sweets. " Oscar blanched and reached for his sickbowl. " Which I'll keep till you're better. " added Nat hastily. Madam Pomfrey shooed her out .  
  
* * *  
  
Saturday morning dawned bright and clear and, for the first time ever, Nat and Deborah fought over the mirror on the dressing table.  
  
" Girls, girls! " it protested wheezily. " You both look divine!"  
  
" Why are you getting all tarted up anyway? " asked Deborah crossly as Nat leaned in to help herself to mascara.  
  
" I'm, er, going with someone as well. " Nat confessed. Deborah's eyes widened.  
  
" Who? "  
  
" Promise not to yell? Okay. Rainer Johnstone. He asked me in Muggle studies this week. "  
  
" And you said //yes//! Are you nuts? "  
  
" He's not that bad. " said Nat defensively, as Deborah shook her head in disgust.  
  
There were a few Snitches loose in Deborah's stomach as she made her way to the entrance hall at midday. She could bet she'd wait for //hours// and he wouldn't turn up. She...  
  
" Hello, Natasha. " There he was, smiling at her.  
  
" Oh, hi. "  
  
" You look very nice. " he said admiringly. Nat blushed, grateful for all that mirror time that morning.  
  
" Thanks. Shall we go? "  
  
* * * * * *  
  
  
  
Nat couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. Or laughed quite so much. Rainer was courteous and polite and was possessed of a very dry wit that made Nat laugh so much, her sides ached. Particularly when he did his impression of Professor Snape.  
  
They explored the fascinating shops, dodging probing questions and embarrassing looks from her uncles in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and even Deborah's look of undisguised horror could dampen her mood as they sat drinking Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks. Deborah was looking adoringly at the good-looking twit at her side. Nat smiled and turned away.  
  
Their conversation turned to family when Rainer returned from the bar with two more foaming tankards.  
  
" Mum was a Slytherin, dad was a Hufflepuff. " he said as he sat close to her in the warm intimacy of the pub. " He died in on of the last battles of the war, fighting the Death Eaters in Scotland. Mum never really got over it. "  
  
" I'm sorry. " said Nat sympathetically, squeezing his hand.  
  
" She runs an apothecary's shop in Dorset. I used to help her, even when I was tiny. I think that's where I got my love of potions from. "  
  
The conversation continued in that vein until the pub began to empty of students and they realised it was time to go.  
  
On the way home they puled their cloaks tight around them, the November wind was bitterly cold.  
  
Cautiously, nervously, his hand slid into hers and she held it tight. It was a very pleasant sensation indeed.  
  
" Can I see you again? " he asked once they reached the castle.  
  
" You see me every day. " protested Nat laughingly.  
  
" You know what I mean. " he said, grinning.  
  
" I'd like to. " said Nat softly. " I really had fun today. "  
  
" See? " he said. " We're not all bad, us Slytherins. Perhaps we could meet after the game on Saturday? "  
  
" Are you playing? " she asked. Rainer was the Slytherin Seeker and was a first-class player. " Because I am. "  
  
" Oh, that's great! " he exclaimed. " We'll meet on the field. "  
  
" Where we'll beat you. And then you can be all miserable at me later on. "  
  
" It's a date. " he said, grinning as he made his way towards the dungeons.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Oscar was feeling much better when Nat and Deborah went to see him that night.  
  
" I've stopped throwing up. " he announced proudly.  
  
Nat skilfully parried his questions about Hogsmeade. She'd tell him about Rainer when there was no chance of him being violently sick all over her.  
  
TBC 


	10. Slytherin Versus Gryffindor

1 CHAPTER TEN. SLYTHERIN VERSUS GRYFFINDOR  
  
  
  
Disclaimers, etc, etc in Chapter one.  
  
Genre for this chapter – a trifle angsty.  
  
  
  
" We're going to win. " announced Rainer smugly.  
  
" What makes you so sure? " asked Nat grumpily. They had just been given a four-scroll essay to write about why Muggles need public transport and Nat thought she'd probably have graduated by the time she finished it.  
  
" We just are," he said with typical Slytherin arrogance. " Care to bet on it? "  
  
" All right. " said Nat, grinning. " What are the stakes? "  
  
" If Tait catches the Snitch, I'll give you twenty Galleons. "  
  
" Rich kid. " sneered Nat. " And if you catch it? "  
  
" Then I'll think of something else. "  
  
" Hey, I can afford twenty. " protested Nat hotly.  
  
" I'm sure you can. But I don't want your money. " said Rainer. And he refused to be drawn any further.  
  
* * * *  
  
Saturday was a perfect day for Quidditch. Nat barely heard a word of Tait's pep talk; she was too busy trying not to throw up.  
  
As they stepped onto the pitch the crowd roared their appreciation.  
  
" Captains, shake hands. " said Madame Hooch.  
  
Her whistle blew, fifteen brooms rose into the air and the game began.  
  
Nat caught a brief glimpse of Rainer as he streaked past her and thought how handsome he looked in his Slytherin Quidditch robes. Then she forced herself to concentrate.  
  
The commentator was having a field day, as the Gryffindor Chasers seemed unstoppable. 110, 120, 130, the points quickly racked up. Nat punched the air delightedly as she scored again, her nerves long since gone.  
  
Then she saw something that made her heart stand still. Duncan and Rainer were neck and neck, racing after the elusive golden ball.  
  
" Come on, Duncan. " she whispered as Gryffindor scored again, bringing their total to 150 – 0.  
  
Rainer pulled out of the dive triumphantly, the fluttering Snitch clenched in his fist and the game ended in complete confusion.  
  
The players landed on the pitch as the commentator declared a draw.  
  
" Well played, Nat. " said Robin as he shouldered his Beater's club. " Johnstone must be crazy, catching the Snitch like that when he knew they couldn't win. What was he thinking of? "  
  
" I don't know. " said Nat faintly. Bracing herself she walked over to where the Slytherin Seeker was standing. He was swinging his broomstick from his left hand and, when he saw her, his smile made her feel as if her robes were suddenly a size too small.  
  
" Okay, you did it, though Merlin knows why. " Nat muttered. " What's the forfeit? "  
  
" Just this. " said Rainer. In one swift movement he dropped his broom, pulled Nat into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips. The crowd exploded with yells and howls but it seemed to Nat that it was coming from miles away. All she could feel was the sun on her face and the incredible softness of Rainer's mouth on hers.  
  
" Your mouth tastes sweeter than anything in Honeydukes. " he whispered as he released her. Nat went even more scarlet than her Quidditch robes.  
  
" I'll see you later. " he said as he made for the changing rooms.  
  
Nat was the subject of some very good-natured teasing as the team changed and made their way back to school for dinner, but it was the reaction of the others that Nat was dreading.  
  
" How dare he do that to you? " raged Oscar. " The slimy bastard, showing you up like that! I should go over there and kill him. I don't need my wand; I'll strangle him with my bare hands. "  
  
" No you won't. " said Nat firmly.  
  
" Why not? "  
  
" Because he's my sort of boyfriend. " said Nat. Oscar just sat there with his mouth open.  
  
" How long has this been going on? " he asked. " Nat, how could you? He's the enemy, he's a Slytherin, he..."  
  
" He's the one that wants me. " said Nat, getting up and hurrying from the table before either Oscar or Deborah could see her tears.  
  
Rainer caught up with her somewhere in the West wing of the castle.  
  
" Don't be too upset. " he said comfortingly. " If they're your friends, they'll come round. "  
  
" But it was as if he hated me. " Nat wailed.  
  
" Well, my lot aren't exactly delighted about it either. I've been threatened with being replaced after the stunt I pulled this afternoon. "  
  
Nat was horrified.  
  
" That's awful! "  
  
" It was entirely worth it. " he said, smiling. " The next time I kiss you though, I'd like it to be a bit more private. "  
  
Nat grinned.  
  
" Now you're making sense. "  
  
* * * * * *  
  
  
  
Oscar tried not speaking to her, he tried being as awful as possible to Rainer, he tried the sweet voice of reason routine but nothing worked. For the rest of the school year, Nat and Rainer were inseparable.  
  
Just before the summer holidays they sat at the side of the lake hand in hand.  
  
" I'll miss you. " he confessed.  
  
" You will write, won't you? " asked Nat, trying not to sound too clingy.  
  
" Hey, maybe you could come and stay for a while in the summer. We never go anywhere and it'd give your mum a break. "  
  
He cheered up considerably.  
  
" That'd be nice. "  
  
" As long as you don't mind spending part of your summer with two gay guys and a pathetic orphan, that is. " said Nat teasingly.  
  
" Touché. " said Rainer as she returned what had been his favourite insult.  
  
He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close so he could kiss her.  
  
" That will have to do until I can see you again. " he whispered into her hair. " Natasha, I think I'm falling in love with you. "  
  
She was saved from answering by the ringing of the curfew bell.  
  
Nat didn't sleep a wink that night.  
  
" He loves me. " she groaned. " I should be delighted. "  
  
So why aren't you? Asked the ever-present voice of her conscience. 


	11. Better Days

1 CHAPTER ELEVEN BETTER DAYS  
  
  
  
Summary: Nat's home for the holidays, but nothing's ever that simple at Stoat's End Lane.  
  
Genre for this chapter: General, with a touch of humour.  
  
  
  
On the first day of the summer holidays, Nat slept late. There had been a lot of noise from the living room and she had merely buried her head under the pillow and tried to ignore it.  
  
When she finally got out of bed she found Ron and Harry still in their dressing gowns with the Sunday Prophet sections spread all over the floor.  
  
" Morning. " she said, stifling a yawn.  
  
" Tea's in the pot. " said Harry, smiling.  
  
They both looked pale and drawn and Nat guessed her Pa had had another bad night. He still walked with a stick from time to time and the painkillers the Healer had given him didn't always work. He hadn't taken to idleness well either but had had to concur, just grateful to be alive.  
  
  
  
Nat poured herself a mug of tea and made straight for the Fashions and Lifestyles section of the paper, turning immediately to Lavender Brown's witty and acerbic column. Within seconds she was giggling.  
  
" What's so funny? " asked Harry.  
  
" This bit about the lengths thirtysomething witches will go to to get themselves a man. "  
  
" Ha! " exclaimed Ron. " They're not looking very hard then. Who writes that rubbish? "  
  
" Lavender Brown. " said Nat. " Don't you ever //read// the paper? "  
  
" Cheek. " said Ron, " Look, if it's not about Quidditch or current affairs your Dad and I aren't interested. And why should I want to read Lavender's drivel? She was a complete airhead at school. "  
  
Nat groaned. Was there //anyone// her parents didn't know?  
  
" I like her stuff. " said Harry mildly. " She's about the only fair journalist in the country. And finding a suitable wizard shouldn't be a problem for you, eh Nat? "  
  
" Exactly. " said Ron with a frown. " I can't believe my own daughter didn't tell me she had a //boyfriend//. I had to find out from her aunt. What's wrong with him, has he got two heads? "  
  
" There's nothing wrong with him!" protested Nat hotly. " He's very nice. "  
  
" He can't be if he's a Slytherin. " growled Ron. " That's a wossname, oxymoron. What's wrong with Oscar? I liked him."  
  
" Oscar's my friend. " said Nat, trying not to blush. " And he's //got// a girlfriend. That's where he is now. With her in Bolivia. "  
  
" So what does this Rainer look like? " asked Harry curiously.  
  
Ignoring Ron who was muttering about Malfoy clones, she said,  
  
" Well, he's tall. Black hair and blue eyes. He's a great Quidditch player. In fact, I'd like you both to meet him."  
  
" Oh, I can't //wait// for that. " said Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. " Well, I'm going to get dressed. "  
  
He winced as he stood up and gripped the back of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. Harry was at his side in an instant.  
  
" Do you need more of your pills? " he asked, concern in his green eyes.  
  
Ron shook his head. " Better not. Maybe you could give me a back rub? "  
  
" Go and lie down then. I'll not be a minute. "  
  
Harry took one look at the stricken expression on his daughter's face and sat down again.  
  
" C'mere. " he said. She perched on the arm of his chair and he took her hand.  
  
" He's a million times better than he was. He's only like this on //really// bad days, okay? He's expected to make a full recovery. "  
  
" I know. " she said, biting her lip. " I just hate to see him in pain like that. "  
  
" We all do. If there was the slightest thing to worry about, I'd tell you. I promise. Now I'd better go and see if I can ease his back a little. "  
  
And Harry got up and walked towards the bedroom.  
  
Reassured, Nat returned to her paper.  
  
****'  
  
Two weeks later Nat was busy in her bedroom.  
  
" Hey, " said a voice loaded with cheer. " You can practically see the floor!"  
  
" Very funny, Pa. " said Nat, grinning at Ron as he stood in the doorway.  
  
" What's the occasion? "  
  
" Deborah's coming over tonight. She goes on holiday tomorrow."  
  
" Ah. A night of girl talk, eh? "  
  
" Be afraid. " she replied, grinning.  
  
" Too right I am. " replied Ron with a mock shudder.  
  
  
  
* * * *  
  
That night he sat with his arms around Harry. Every so often a burst of giggles would emerge from Nat's room.  
  
" What do they //do// in there? " asked Ron.  
  
" I dunno. " replied Harry, nestling closer. Ron was gently stroking the back of his neck and it was having the desired effect. It had been a long time since they had been so intimate.  
  
" They talk about boys, I imagine. Clothes, make-up, sex..."  
  
" Sex! " exclaimed Ron. " What the hell does Nat know about sex? "  
  
" A lot more than her Pa gives her credit for. If I'd left it to you she'd still be thinking babies get delivered personally by the Minister for Magic. She's growing up, Ron. "  
  
" I know. " Ron sighed. " It's just the thought of that Slytherin creep pawing her...It's disgusting. And she's only sixteen. She's far too young. "  
  
" Like we were, you mean? "  
  
" That was entirely different. " said Ron firmly.  
  
" How so? "  
  
" Because I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And making love to you was the best way I knew to express how I felt about you. "  
  
" Ron Weasley! You romantic old thing! " exclaimed Harry, his eyes dancing with mischief. Ron's ears went pink.  
  
" I think that bang on the head I took has made me go soft. "  
  
Harry's hand slid into Ron's lap, making him gasp.  
  
" On the contrary. " said Harry wickedly, pulling Ron down for a kiss.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In Nat's bedroom the girls were halfway down a purloined bottle of home- made wine and were more giggly than usual.  
  
" I'll never survive without him for a fortnight!" proclaimed Deborah dramatically. Nat rolled her eyes.  
  
" Why? Aren't there any owls in Spain? " Deborah hit her with a pillow.  
  
" I //love// him. We can't bear to be apart! "  
  
" Tough. " said Nat with a grin.  
  
" Have you heard from Rainer since you came home? "  
  
" Oh, yeah. He writes nearly every day. It's nice. What? " Deborah was frowning.  
  
" I don't think you're being very fair on him. " said Deborah. " He's told you he loves you. I mean you're just so lucky. But you'll never be happy with him as long as you're carrying a torch for Oscar. "  
  
" I am //not//!" exclaimed Nat, genuinely shocked. Deborah nodded.  
  
" You are. You're green with jealousy. "  
  
" Look. Oscar is my – our friend. He's a great guy and I like him. But he's got Elisabeth and he seems happy enough. And I've got Rainer, whom I happen to adore. He's clever, he's funny, he's great at Quidditch, he's a wonderful kisser...What now? "  
  
Nat stopped ticking Rainer's virtues off on her fingers at the look on Deborah'' face.  
  
" Who are you trying to convince, Nat? Me or yourself? "  
  
" I think you'd better go. " said Nat.  
  
" Okay. But just so you know, I had an owl from Oscar this morning. He's back in England. He's broken up with Elisabeth because neither of them could cope with a long-distance relationship. He's really hurting and he needs a friend. Just be careful you don't hurt him either. "  
  
" Just go. " said Nat coldly.  
  
When Deborah had gone she lay on her bed, her mind awhirl with what had just been said.  
  
" I don't know what to do. " she whispered into the uncaring dark. " I just don't know. "  
  
TBC 


	12. Unexpected

CHAPTER TWELVE - Unexpected.  
  
Summary: Life is certainly full of surprises. A mega-short chapter.  
  
Genre for this chapter: Fluffeeee! Makes you go "Awwwwww!"  
  
  
  
Nat was rudely awakened by Harry on the morning of his birthday.  
  
" Wake up, love. It's important! " he exclaimed.  
  
" Wassup? " she asked sleepily.  
  
" Get dressed. We're meeting Pa; there's something very important we need to do today. "  
  
" Okay. " said Nat. She looked at Harry and then looked again.  
  
" Dad! " she exclaimed. " You look //gorgeous//! "  
  
He was wearing bottle-green dress robes trimmed with gold and, for once; his unruly hair was behaving itself.  
  
" Thanks. " he said blushing. " I thought we could go out for dinner afterwards. Seeing as it's my birthday. "  
  
" Your present's in the living room " said Nat over her shoulder as she headed for the shower.  
  
Back in her bedroom she found a new set of lavender-blue dress robes with shoes to match. Once dressed, she looked in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised to see how grownup she looked.  
  
Harry was waiting for her in the living room.  
  
" You look beautiful. " he said, beaming with parental pride. " And thank you for the book. "  
  
" It's okay, I knew you wanted it. Where are we going? " She asked as he helped her on with her cloak and hustled her out of the door with almost indecent haste.  
  
" Wait and see. " said Harry with a smile.  
  
Ten minutes later, they arrived.  
  
" Why did I have to get all tarted up to come to the Ministry? " complained Nat, making for the Department of Mysteries where Ron had his office.  
  
" This way. " said Harry, guiding her away from the stairs and along a corridor she had never been down before.  
  
A woman with short dark hair and a beaming smile ran up to them and threw her arms round Harry.  
  
" I can't //believe// this is happening!" she said breathlessly.  
  
" Hello, Lavender. This is my daughter, Natasha. Nat, this is Lavender Brown. "  
  
" So pretty, just like your mum was. " said Lavender sadly. " Quite a day for everyone, isn't it? "  
  
" Er,"  
  
Total embarrassment was averted when the ornate oak door swung open and Oliver Wood stuck his head out.  
  
" Ah. You're here. Come in, the Minister's expecting you. "  
  
* * *  
  
Nat and Oliver sat companionably in a private parlour in the Leaky Cauldron. A late edition of the Daily Prophet was open on her lap and she kept looking at it. She was completely stunned and very, very happy.  
  
" We made the front page. " said Oliver, whose smile got broader with each glass of champagne he consumed. Nat looked again.  
  
1 THE BOY WHO LIVED WEDS IN SECRET  
  
//Story by Lavender Brown, staff reporter.  
  
Harry Potter, the Head of the Magical Games and Sports Department, today wed his long-term partner, the Auror Ronald Weasley in a hush-hush ceremony at the Ministry of Magic.  
  
Present at this deeply moving and romantic occasion were their daughter Natasha, Molly Weasley and the Minister, who performed the ceremony. Mr Potter and Mr Weasley were attended by Oliver Wood, former Puddlemere United and England Keeper and Percy Weasley, head of the department for International Magical Co-operation.  
  
Since Mr Weasley came so close to death last year, this wedding has finally put the worst of times behind them.  
  
Everyone at the Daily Prophet and, I'm sure, the entire wizarding world wishes them well. //  
  
  
  
" How did they manage it? " asked Nat. " I mean Pa's like the worst secret keeper ever! How could they keep something like that from me? "  
  
" It's not a reflection on you. " said Oliver gently. " They knew that if anyone found out about it, their wedding day would turn into some kind of media circus. And no one wanted that. This way they had exactly the kind of wedding they wanted with the people they loved. And you have to admit; it was a beautiful ceremony. "  
  
" It was. " agreed Nat. " You can keep my handkerchief by the way. "  
  
Oliver grinned.  
  
" What are you two plotting? " said a voice. Nat looked up to see the newly- weds grinning at her.  
  
" World domination. " said Nat sweetly. " And how are Mr and Mrs Weasley? "  
  
" Oh, very funny!" exclaimed Ron.  
  
" Nothing's changed. " said Harry. " We're still the same. "  
  
" So why bother to get married at all? " said Nat curiously. That had been bothering her more than anything.  
  
" Because I almost lost him once. " said Harry, his emerald eyes grave. " I couldn't risk losing him again. "  
  
Oliver blew his nose and Nat grinned at him.  
  
" Now, I //definitely// don't want my hanky back. Why don't we have a dance instead? "  
  
She hugged both Harry and Ron very tightly.  
  
" I love you both. And I'm so happy for you. "  
  
And she dragged Oliver on to the dancefloor with a heart as light as air.  
  
" So, have you got someone special? " he asked her.  
  
" Kind of. It's...complicated. " she said, blushing deeply.  
  
She had received a number of disturbing letters since her argument with Deborah and she knew that, pretty soon, she would have to come to a decision. But that would keep. She wanted to enjoy today to the full.  
  
" It's okay. " said Oliver, smiling. " There's nothing more complicated than love. "  
  
Epilogue – coming soon! 


	13. Epilogue

1 EPILOGUE  
  
Summary: It's two years since Nat graduated from Hogwarts. But something is still unresolved.  
  
Genre for this chapter; Pure unadulterated fluff.  
  
  
  
In a cloud of soot, Nat emerged into Mr Small's living room.  
  
" Hi, Everard. " she said smiling at the tiny, elderly wizard whose fireplace was a godsend when she was working abroad.  
  
" The lovely Natasha. Are you going home today, dear? "  
  
" Two weeks holidays. " said Nat, grinning as she brushed the soot off herself. " Are you sure you don't mind me using your fire? I mean, you could be doing //anything//. "  
  
" I assure you, seeing you is my only pleasure these days. " said Everard sadly. " Give my regards to your parents. "  
  
" Will do. And thanks again. "  
  
She quitted the tiny apartment and hurried down Stoat's End Lane to her parent's house.  
  
" Surprise!" she said as Harry opened the front door.  
  
" Natasha! " he exclaimed. " I wasn't expecting you. "  
  
" I've got two weeks off since the International Confederation of Wizards conference finished early. So I thought I'd come home. "  
  
Since graduating from Hogwarts Natasha Granger (she had explained at length to Ron how being a Weasley-Potter could be a hindrance as well as a help) had made a real name for herself as a journalist, following in the footsteps of Lavender Brown, her mentor and friend.  
  
They had kept in touch ever since the wedding and Lavender had pleaded with the editor to give Nat a start. He had never regretted it and neither had she.  
  
Sitting with her parents, looking at their well-loved faces, she felt herself relax.  
  
" I hope you don't mind. " she said, a trifle sheepishly. " But I've got a date tonight. "  
  
" Of course you must go. It's rare for you two to be in the same time zone, never mind the same town. Enjoy yourself, love. " said Harry.  
  
  
  
Later that night Nat made her way to the Warlock's Head eagerly anticipating the meeting with her lover. She had missed him terribly in the weeks they had been apart, but his job kept him every bit as busy as hers.  
  
He was already there and they kissed tenderly before the obsequious waiter ushered them into their seats.  
  
" I missed you. " said her lover, taking her hand. " Was it too awful? "  
  
" Dry as sticks. " smiled Nat. " And I missed you too. Wherever you go, you'll be in my heart always. "  
  
He smiled. " Which reminds me, there's something I need to ask you. "  
  
" Oh yeah? " said Nat teasingly.  
  
Her lover stood up and dropped to one knee.  
  
" Natasha, will you marry me? "  
  
" Oh my god! " she exclaimed. " Get up, you look ridiculous!"  
  
" Well, he demanded. " Will you. "  
  
She reached out and drew him to his feet.  
  
" The answer is yes. I could think of nothing that would make me happier. I love you, Oscar. "  
  
Oscar's heart filled with joy as he wrapped his arms around the only woman he had ever truly loved.  
  
" And you'll be in my heart always too. " he whispered just before he kissed her. 


End file.
